I mean, aren't we all guilty? Secretly letting our perfectly ripe bananas over-ripen so we can justify why we made cookies, bread, pancakes, muffins...you get the idea. We tell ourselves it's totally fine because...fruit. I can picture how this would go over if my mother were here.
Mom: "Did you really need to bake cookies?"
Me: "Why would I waste bananas?"
See what I mean? The perfect excuse.
I don't know if your family has the same problem as my family. If someone were to bake muffins, or bring muffins into the house, mysteriously, all the muffin tops seem to disappear. Kind of like the crust to a good loaf of bread seems to disappear, and the crunchy topping on a casserole gets picked off the top. We are a crunchy, crust loving, topping eating family. I think it's just who we are. That's why when Panera invented the muffie, I pretty much fell in love. It basically solved all my dilemmas. No more bottom of the muffin waste; the perfect part of the muffin AKA the top is the only part of the muffin when you eat a muffie. It's pure genius.
Kind of how my family has a love affair with muffin tops, we have a similar love affair with coffee. I blame my dad for that one. Always asking if we wanted coffee at weird times like 2pm. Who needs coffee at 2pm? Wait, that's what I used to say. Now, coffee pretty much runs through my veins. I drink it all the time. ALL DAY LONG. When they invent an IV drip for coffee, sign me up. I'll overcome my fear of needles for coffee. A coffee draught would be pretty much the worst thing ever. I wouldn't survive. Not having a baked good to eat with my coffee is a close second to the worst thing ever. Don't worry though. These cookies are like a cross between the best muffie you've ever eaten, and the best cookie you've ever eaten. I think they make the perfect partner in crime for your cup of mid-afternoon joe. I think they are more muffiny than cookie-like but they are certainly 100% delicious.
Banana Bread Cookies
1/3 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 ripe medium/large banana, mashed 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips recipe adapted from Taste of Home. | Preheat the oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whip in the egg, banana and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a fork (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice). Turn the mixer on low and add half of the dry ingredients at a time until incorporated with the wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips. Scoop batter by the tablespoonful onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes (until the edges are golden brown). |